danmachifandomcom-20200223-history
User blog:RedDevilNL6/Short Story: On the Day of Departure, On the Day of Beginnings
WARNING: this SS was translated by combining the results of multiple machine translators ontop of an already translated Chinese version of this SS!! it's been brought to my attention that, eventhough the bigger picture of my translations are correct, there are indeed some translation mistakes and some of the real meanings have been lost!! Don't read my translations unless you can accept the fact that these are not 100% accurate!! If Yen Press asks me to take these down, I will do so without any hesitation. I'm not trying to break their copyright, I'm just making these short stories available to the English fanbase because it doesn't look like they're planning on translating them. Even if Yen Press don't ask me to take them down, I will still do so the moment I find out that they're actually planning on translating them. ---- On the Day of Departure, On the Day of Beginnings (旅立ちの日に、始まりの日に) is a special story included in the DanMachi BD 1 booklet. ---- “You can find everything in the labyrinth city” The man said to the young me. “Beautifull girls, the elfs you like so much, the goddes of sorrow … You can even have fated encounters over there. If you want to go, go.” I was holding a book about heroes in my hands at that time, while my young mind was confused by those words. “If you do well, you can gain wealth and fame.” He said. “However, it would be irrelevant to get involved in the waves of time. That’s just how it is” Looking down at the small me, he neither laughed or got angry, he just said it indifferently. “Because of this… you can even be a hero. If you have the resolve, go ahead.” My grandfater, indeed, said so. “Don’t commit your will to others, not to elfs or the gods. I won’t ask for anything else.” I still remember the man’s words. “Do not blindly follow the instructions of others. Decide for yourself.” I remember the look on his face. “This is your story.” The smile that emerged on the man’s face was absolutely unforgettabe. Many words and important memories of my grandfather who is no longer here… I’m sure that from now on, I’ll think of them from time to time. ✰ “-Hey, little brother, I can see it!” -bam-bam- Hearing the sound of the wheels and feeling the impact, I couldn’t help shaking my body. Waking up from my dream, I opened my eyes. I had fallen asleep while sitting on my knees, but after hearing the uncle’s voice, I jumped up and hurriedly peeped out of the carriage, which was carrying a lot of wheat. “…!” From the carriage which was driving on a hill, I could see a certain scene. A huge city surrounded by huge walls as well as a white tower looming in the cloudless sky. Facing the magnificent view in my line of sight, I opened my mouth like a fool as I watched in ecstasy. “Amazing……!” “Hahaha, everybody who sees Orario for the first time reacts that way!” Because of me who was was trembling all over, the uncle, a human merchant, is laughing in a friendly manner. Eventhough on the way up here, you could always see it if you looked up at the sky, the spectacular view of the giant tower is still the most exciting scene. I have no idea how to express myself in the face of this scene that only became visible after leaving behind the village I grew up in – the complete picture of the huge city. Labyrinth City Orario. It’s the “center of the world” where wealth and fame could be obtained. In the face of this city, talked about in so many heroic stories from my childhood books, I just couldn’t help but get goose bumps and feel shocked inside. “Thank you, Uncle! I’m going to leave here!” After losing my only family when my grandfather passed away about one year ago, I finally made up my mind to leave my hometown village. I thanked the good-hearted merchant who brought me here and jumped of the wagon. I picked up a small amount of luggage and started running on the street leading to the huge city. “Hey, little brother!? We haven’t arrived yet!” “It’s alright, I’ll run the last part!” I turned around and smiled while waving at him. As if driven by the excitement that welled up in my heart, I headed down the hill towards the labyrinth city with the white tower and huge walls. It’s been nearly 30 minutes since I left the carriage and finally arrived at the huge stone wall. Sweat is dripping all over me, yet I’ve not stopped once, I’ve been running here, facing the huge stone wall. I can’t remember how many times I’ve looked at it awe. Just looking up at the wall would cause you to have a pain in the neck, that’s how amazing it is. The walls – that have been standing here since the ancient times to act as barriers for escaping monsters – look a bit cold and solemn. My throat rang and I stood back to get my self-awareness back, and finally got into the city. I joined the long queue of merchant carriages and travelers lined up in front of the gate. “Next!” It was finally my turn when I found out that people armed with swords and armor were waiting as well, after seeing this I couldn’t calm down. I was nervous as I walked towards the two guards in front of me. “Do you have a permit?” “Oh… Is there anything you need?” The dwarf male in a black uniform – certainly a staff member of the legendary city management guild – told me that he needed to submit some paperwork. As I started to feel very anxious the man immediately smiled at me. “Since you don’t look like a traveler at first glance… you’re here to become an adventurer, aren’t you?” “Yes, that’s right!” “There’s no problem than, thousands of people just like you come to this city to become adventurers.” As I thought about how much management is involved in all of this, the guild staff member asked me to turn around and show him my back. I obeyed his request right away, and then he put a lantern-like prop hanging over his waist against my back. “What are you doing?” “Confirming the presence or absence of a “falna”. This is an inspection to prevent spies from other cities or countries to get inside.” This magic prop will react to the “Blood of God”, but although I was told that, I still had no idea what this meant, having grown up in the countryside. As I became suspicious, the other guard – the man with the sword – picked up his arms and started talking to me. “Here comes another cute guy.” At a glance – he is an adventurer. His shoulder pads have a coat of arms on it. No, it’s actually a familia badge that mimics the face of a god. The man has brown skin, he’s an adventurer with a messy beard. I don’t know how to say it, but he has some kind of pressence to him, as if I can feel that he’s there without actually looking at him. The adventurer… In the face of somebody with the same profession as I’m aiming for, I had a feeling similar to nervousness. “Why did you come to Orario? I’m certain it’s not a boring reason like making money to support your family right? Is it fame, or wealth … or is it a woman?” “Well, that… for… in order to have a fated encounter with a girl in the dungeon…” “—hahahahahahahahahahahaha!? What is this, this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone say that!? What a funny kid you are!” The laughing adventurer talked without restraint while I panicked after accidentally having spoken the truth. The man on the opposite side opened his eyes and gave a big laugh, as a result he received the attention from everyone around him. My face turned red as I realised I spoke carelessly and dug my own grave. “Hashana, it’s still time for work.” the man was reminded by the guild staff, “Don’t say that, your guild is too serious.” the adventurer smiled and shrugged. It seems the guild staff and adventurers were in charge of the city’s gatekeeper work. After I saw the two men in black uniforms and armor in the duty room at the door, I seemed to understand it. After a while the inspection came to and end without any problems. “When you want to register as an adventurer, go to the guild headquarters. They can give you a proper description and instructions for adventurers over there.” “Thank you very much!” “However, regestration is only granted to those who’ve received a “falna”… Joining a god’s familia is the minimum requirement for becoming an adventurer. “Do you understand my explanation in this regard?” The guild staff member asked after telling me about the process of becoming an adventurer. A familia is an organization formed by a god as a sort of family. We, the people from the lower world, can join a familia through a contract with the gods and getting their blessing. Than the familia members... they can share the joys and sorrows of the familia. Recalling the memories of my grandfather and his vague instructions, I somehow feel agitated in my chest. “Is there anything you want to ask? Right now I will answer all your questions.” Was what I said earlier really that interesting? The human adventurer kept on smiling very kindly at me. Facing the adventurer before me, after a little hesitation, I looked up at his face and tried to ask. “What is the most important thing for adventurers?” The adventurer with tight muscles and a medium build answered without hesitation. “Naturally, that would be finding a decent god.” Holding his arms again, he nodded his head with a confident smile. “Because this is the only way the guild can take care of you. Finding a good god is an adventurer… no, will become the strenght of the person who can do that…. After that, I’d say ‘luck’ is important.” “Luck…” “Ah, this is the most important force for an adventurer.” In the end, he said, “Come on, rookie” as he petted me on the shoulder. Seeing the other person’s smile I couldn’t help but feel happy as well. I said “Yes!” As I smiled and replied, I walked towards the gate they just opened. With excitement, tension and anticipation I passed through the gate – the horizon widened immediately. “Wow……!” What I see in front of me is a beautiful street view that would be unimaginable from outside the huge walls. The wide and bustling street that stretches out from the square in front of the gate, the carriages standing on the neatly arranged stone bricks, and the numerous shops that are found on the sides of the street. The bustling Main Street, with in it’s view the majestic white tower, has the splendour and excitement that the rural countryside can’t see. It’s obvious as I’m entering this grand view, and I’m walking away because of the excitement and redness in my cheeks. Wether you look back and forth, or sigh, you just can’t stop. Along the way you could see a lot of different species going about their day – and adventurers equipped with swords and armor! The beautiful elf with a sword is fascinating, or the dwarf warrior with the big sword, it’s a feast for my eyes. The small human magician with a pointed hat carrying a wand looks very cute too. Because I grew up in a village there were only humans and a very small number of dwarfs. So this multi-ethnic city makes me feel touched. The noise of the crowd made me feel so comfortable. Foreign sentiment, the words are floating in my mind. The first time I caught sight of the labyrinth city was the first time I knew that everything I saw and heard was new for me, and in that instant, I was happy. “……? What’s going on?” After having passed through the city gate in the north, I started aimlessly passing through the bustling street in the opposite direction and encountered a large crowd of people. I wondererd what was going on so I approached the crowd and inquired. “That, what’s the matter? Why are so many people gathered here?” “It’s the familia yo, familia!!, They’re back from their expedition!” familia… Expedition……? Seeing my face completely confused, the young man who had answered me made a surprised expression. “Are you new to Orario or something? If you don’t even know the familia, you must be a countryman right?” The young man was astonished and explained it to me again. familia is one of the best familias in Orario. It is a super-powerfull familia with a handful of adventurers who are known as ‘first-class adventurers’, there are only a few of those in the entire world. And now they’re on their way back from their exploration of the deeper levels of the dungeon, which is expanding underneath the city of Orario. One of the city’s largest familia… once I heard this information I hurriedly wanted to see what was on the other side of the crowd. People gathered into the crowd, and in the busy streets they opened up a path for the adventurers as if they were afraid to get too close. I managed to get my head out of the seams, and the group of familia adventurers came into sight. With large baggage, weapons and wands that I’ve never seen before and huge shields that bathed in the sun. It’s like, yes, the heroes who have succesfully returned from the battlefield. There is a style in them that could be described as battle-hardened adventurers. This is like the scene of an encounter with a hero from the old hero stories. Together with the bustling audiance, I am also fascinated by them. “Hey, look!” “Blond, golden-eyed…!” “Yes kenki!!” (kenki……?) Regardless of their excitement, I only saw the figure for a moment. Long blond hair and silver armor. A sword of high quality in a scabbard. Since it was nothing more than a momentum, I couldn’t confirm the face of the adventurer that walked by. The girl who was about as tall as me, shaking her long blond hair, is gone. Such a slender girl is… a so-called first-class adventurer? As a group of people carrying large iron boxes turned away from the bustling streets, the figures of the adventurers were about to dissapear, yet my eyes continued to follow the blond hair that was dazzling and impressive among the other adventurers. “kenki… the sword princess, is it?” I left the place when the crowd was about to dissipate. I can’t keep on being distracted by the beauty of the city, so I came in action. When you enter a town, you must first find a place to stay. That’s one of the basics of travel. Although this is only what the villagers told me. I roamed around the city, gathered courage to ask help from passer-bys and looked for cheap accommodation everywhere. Because the money in my hands is all the property I have, even if I make a mistake, I can’t waste it. After stopping at the entrances and exits of the dungeon, the vast squares and the white tower… I went to the eastern part of the city, where it was said to be densely populated. “That one……” In the busy street, a luxurious hotel built with red bricks seemed very conspicious. I entered one of the wooden hotels that were gathered in the bustling street. Standing alone in the backlight, the two-story building with the sign “INN”, although impolite, looks very cheap. As I opened the squeaking door, the middle-aged shopkeeper – who was reading a newspaper behind the counter – seemed bored and looked at me. “Ah, yes, I’d like to stay here for a while, if possible.” “800 valis a night. No meals.” “--800 valis!?” So expensive! It’s totally different from the price I imagined!! Although I think that according to the villagers who went on journeys as merchants, they only had to pay at most two or three hundred valis. This is the city… no, the labyrinth city…… it’s likely this expensive because this is the “center of the world”. What should I do? Although it would drastically reduce my money, it would be no different if I went to other places… “Three days is 2000 valis. If you don’t want to stay, get out – “ “Ah, than I’ll take that deal, please!?” “—huh?” I immediately accepted the kindness of the shopkeeper for the discounted three-day lodging fee. The shopkeeper raised his head with a cold expression from behind the newspaper. I stared at him and said, “Thank you so much”. The shopkeeper responded by saying “Oh, oh… it’s just common courtesy”. He seemed to be shaking with some uncomfortableness, and once again, his gaze fell onto the newspaper. I took the key from the counter and ran into my room on the second floor. Although the room only had a bed in it, it was enough for me. After receiving a discount to ensure my three day stay here, I was in a relaxed mood, and planned to go back out to the street again without taking a break. I left all my luggage except for the money in the room and ran down the stairs. “I’ll be back!” I said to the man behind the counter and I left the hotel. Although the cold shopkeeper didn’t respond, I didn’t really care as I accelerated and ran down the stone-paved streets. In order to become a real adventurer, you must go to the guild headquarters to go through all the formalities, and before that, you’d first have to join a familia. But… even before that, I had something else I wanted to do. Because one thing was decided up front, if I came to Orario, I definitely had to go there. After inquiring about it to the people on the street, I learned that the place was located in the southeastern part of the city, which very close to my current location. People told me to be careful because of the nearby slum street Street. Thanks to this I managed to arrive safely at my destination without getting lost. It was a graveyard with countless graves lined up. “……” ‘The First Cemetery’, or the cemetery of Orario, also known as the ‘Adventurer’s Cemetry’. The place where adventurers bury those who’ve lost their lives in the dungeon. There were no other people in this garlic-shaped space that reached all the way to the long staircase along the path. I faced the innumerable tombstones made of white stone and walked toward the depths of the cemetry as a sound got stuck in my throat. After a while I found what was a great black monument. Unlike the other tombstones… this looked like an ‘ancient’ one meant for heroes. “This is the hero’s…” Facing the 5 meter tall monument, I widened my eyes. In my childhood, Oratoria was one of my favorite books. It was a book that depicted the stories of heroes from long ago. The great heroes who bet themselves against the attacks of monsters from underground and saved the lives of so many people – and now I’m standing here, in front of their graves, aspiring to be like them one day. “……” The names of the heroes known in the stories are engraved on the dark tombstone. I used my eyes to confirm all of them. My body became hot out of excitement. I don’t know why but it feels as if I had to shed some tears. There are a lot of flowers in front of the monument. There are many people who come here to sincerely express their pride and respect for the heroes. I felt dejected for knowing I wasn’t like them, so I fixed my posture and closed me eyes. From now on, I will also become and adventurer here in Orario. Even though I’ll never be a hero… even if just a little bit, I want to get closer to them. Watching the clear blue sky, I offer my silent prayers together with my wishes. ✰ It was already the second day since arriving in Orario. I immediately began to look for a familia that would accept me into their ranks. ‘Falna’ obtained from the god of a familia would turn into a ‘status’. People who’ve not yet been engraved with a ‘status’ cannot claim to be adventurers in the labyrinth city. I summoned all my courage and enthusiasm and visited the base camp decorated with the badge of a certain familia. …… However, it was just a visit. “I was rejected again…” It was noon and I had already tasted a total of ten rejections in a row… I sat set down in the semicircular square facing the street. Sitting on the stone steps, I bowed my head in dissapointment. Sure enough, things weren’t as easy as they had seemed to be. Contrary to my enthusiasm, the people of the familias reacted very coldly. Basically as soon as they saw me, they gave me the cold shoulder. At a glance, I had the attire and atmosphere of country, I don’t look like a professional, to them I look like a simple farmer. In the end, I didn’t even have any weapons. When they looked at me, I was a full-fledged countryman who would only bring trouble to the familia and was rejected. The first impression was undoubtedly the worst. Of course, there was no way to persuade any of the familias. If you’re a hard-working man, a craftsman or a blacksmith for example, the treatment would definitely be different. “It might have something to do with race…” After the tenth consecutive familia rejection, an elf that visited their base camp, as I was about to leave, was welcomed with open arms. Turning around, my cheeks twitched, I finally realised the truth abouth a so-called race barrier. The human race was inferior to the other races, and it seems they all knew this as well. The graceful elfs are good at ‘magic’, although they may have a tendency to want preferential treatment. Dwarfs would even be able to fight against low level monsters without being engraved with a ‘status’, and amazons are great at all kinds of martial arts. No matter where you go, humans are just ordinary, it’s very emberrassing to be honest. “……Ok!” I didn’t know how many times I sighed, but I patted my face and raised my head. Even if I’m feeling lost, it’s of no use! If I have that kind of time, I should be using it to find a familia that would even accept people like me. After a little investigation, I found out that the large familias would not be willing to welcome me into their group. Sure enough, what I should be trying it is to find a familia that’s still in development, one that could even use the hands of a rabbit, no, the hands of a cat because of their bussy schedule. In order to fill my stomach, I bought something called ‘Jagamaru-kun’ in an open-air shop. For someone like me who is trying to save money, it has a gratifying price of 30 valis, while it is made of potatoes, so it actually quells the hunger quite well. After finding this cheap food, I have a hunch that the future will also figure itself out in the long-term. While thinking I can’t be discouraged just yet, I ran into the lively streets of Orario once again. Then – two days later. “Woo, the day is over already…” With the rays of the sunset burning on my skin over the top of the huge walls from the west of the city, I was staggering back to the hotel. The town of Orario is surprisingly broad, I’ve been moving all over the place for days now, my legs and body are exhausted. In the end, I’ve not been accepted by any familia at all. Although I saw a poster on the corner of the street, and ran to the party that was recruiting new members just to try my luck, I was compared to the other people who wanted to join… I got rejected again. “……” My depressed face had a dark red color as I arrived at the hotel. There my troubles only got bigger. Because the room I’d been renting until today had expired, I asked the owner if I could stay for a few more days. “… The price has increased to 2500 valis for three days.” “Eh……” “When you came here for the first time, I said it would be for 3 days only. That room has been scheduled to be rented by other guests, so this is the hard fee for another room.” The owner said so coldly, while I was surprised by the price. That’s right, isn’t it? The man who runs the hotel is right. I take my wallet out of my bag and put almost all of my remaining money on the table. The owner’s elbow slipped from the table as he watched. Puzzled by this scene I went to my room. Refraining from eating my dinner, I climbed in bed. “Not today either, huh?” While covered by the thin blanket, I looked up at the wooden ceiling. The money is gone. If I can’t join a familia within three days, I’ll be forced to live on the streets. If the members of a familia don’t want to deal with me, there’s always the method of directly negotiating with the gods themselves as a final means. The gods and goddesses who are hanging out in the city these days can be spotted quite easily… but I’d have to overcome a lot of fears, probably because of the presence of their guards. If I’d awkwardly approach them, I’d only be despised. I can’t remember how many times I’ve experienced that so far. Only once, I found a male god who seemed willing to accept me into his familia. “The only condition is to become my puppet!” He said something I couldn’t quite figure out… so I ended up running away. “…… Finding a god that will accept me, can I actually do that?” As I was thinking, the windows completely darkened, and I recalled the words of the adventurer I met when I entered the city. I hope I will encounter a god who will welcome me to their familia. “……” I came to Orario filled with hope and expectations in my heart, I was in a great mood and my body felt excited. Now this great mood has cooled down quite a bit. Even my hands and feet are cold. My hearth was not as ease… I was feeling lonely. This feeling of loneliness that I had never felt before in my hometown, when my grandfather was still around. I was indifferent to the city, which was surrounded by the huge stone walls like a giant bird cage. In the middle of the night, the light of the magic stone lamp swayed unsteadily. “……” …… it’s ok. Tomorrow, tomorrow must be… However. “Go back. We don’t have a cumbersome surplus!” It’s as if he was laughing at my self-comforting words from the night before. “Adventurer? Go and grab your luggage!” I was given a cold glare as I was driven out the door. “I’ll think about letting you back in if you come up with the money!” he said “haha haha hahaha haha haha!” Just like this, I was unable to find a familia that was willing to accept the youthful me. In the twinkling of an eye, three days had already passed. “I’m in trouble from today onwards…” On the morning when the accommodation period had passed, I greeted the old man at the counter. My face dimmed as I was about to exit the hotel. As I was about to close the door, the old man, who had been reading the newspaper at the counter, began to scratch his hair. He seemed to stand up with some anger, but took something out from under the counter, came up to me as I was surprised by his actions, and handed it to me. “…… Take it.” “Eh……” The thing that was given to me was a bag of dark bread. Although I was overwhelmed by his suddon actions, I could not simply accept such an offer, but the man forced me to take it. “Little guy… you’re a little too… remember not to trust everything people say.” “If you don’t, you won’t be able to survive here.” He said. Shaking his black hair, the old man only said this. As the man seemed to have some regrets, he moved out of my sight with his back facing me and closed the door. Silently looking down at the bag in my hands, I felt a hot sensation in my body. I held the bag tightly and bowed deeply in front of the door. Looking back at the hotel that took care of me fors ix days, I took a step forward. Today the sky above Orario is still blue and cloudless. After I sat down in the corner of the street and ate all the dark bread, I searched for familias I had not yet been in contact with. I wonder how many times I’ve passed by adventures dressed in luxurious outfits and over-the-top equipment. They are heading to the middle of the city, where the entrance to the dungeon lies underneath the great white tower. Towards the monster-infested den, where they will weave the tales of legendary adventures with their own hands. The gods want to witness the stories of these adventurers as they eagerly await their knowledge. The beginning of today, which is no different from other days, has made many people feel joy. Surrounded by such joyful voices, I felt shaken by the crowds of people and wandered alone through the big city. Then, after getting the cold shoulder from a familia for the 16th time today, I collapsed in the corner of a street. I’m ignoring the stares of others, as I tried my best to lean against the walls of a building, I stared blankly at the sight of the people coming and going. Is there no place for me here? Is there no one who will actually take a look at me? I feel like I’ve been cut off from the world in the place where I’m standing. The sound of footsteps and the hustle and bustle of the street seem to be so far away. No matter who seems to notice me, they just pass the street and leave. It’s just a lost child. Wandering aimlessly, alone, in the vast city. The mood I had before arriving in Orario is almost completely lost. In the face of such insecurity and loneliness, I’m about to collapse. “…… I’m” I came tot his city to have one of those fated encounters. It was impossible to abandon the fated encounters of heroes I had in my visions before I came to this city. In order not to let the remains of the memories about my grandfather go to waste, I left my hometown and came to Orario. However, its true. I, what I real want is --. The front of my hair blocked my eyes, I lowered my head, and staggered as I tried to get back up. I just don’t know where to go. To escape from the lively street, I decided to enter an alley covered in darkness. Nobody noticed a person like me… “—Hey—You there. That alley is very dangerous, don’t go there.” At first I didn’t respond to the person who said this to me. “Eh……?” I’m sure, definitely, absolutly, I won’t ever forget that scene and what happened that day. “Thank you… but, uh… who are you? Are you here alone, lost maybe?” I said. “…It looks like you’ve lost your way, is that true?” The figure of that person… that voice… is this perhaps... “Ah--, uh-uh -…… Actually, I’m trying to find a familia. I just really want to be an adventurer – I think, that, uhm, that is…” I stumbled over my own words. “I want to join! Please let me join your familia!” The girl extended her hand. “You really want to? To join my familia?” “Yes, I really want to! But is it really ok for a guy like me to join?” As soon as I took hold of her hand, we smiled at eachother. “My name is Hestia! What’s your name!?” As she asked for my name, I could feel the warmth emenating from the goddess. “Bell… Bell Cranel.” In that moment of joy I started crying, I would never forget that moment. I finally met my goddess. In the streets of this labyrinth city, many encounters have been created and many heroes have been born. As I realized I just had my own encounter with a goddess, I thought back at my grandfather’s words “This is your story.”. My story must have started here today. Because, on this day, our familia, the Familia, was officially created. Category:Blog posts Category:SS Translations